When it comes to marketing online there is one power that anyone can have, but most overlook.

It's not copywriting and it's not list building, although those are both powerful.

I'm talking the power of product knowledge.

The power of really knowing the product you are promoting and believing in that product with all your heart.

Sadly most people never get to this part of selling, falling for hype instead.

Believing the hype, they spend their money and time and end up selling very little... or nothing at all. They're left believing online marketing isn't for them, that they aren't cut out for it.

This, simply put, is not true. And I want to make a case for falling in love with the products you use and believe in, and promoting them with all of your heart.

And how to convert this passion into sales...

Use What You Buy

Your parents probably drilled this into your head when you were growing up. Some call it getting the most for your money.

I call it product knowledge.

You see, when you use the things you buy to the fullest, you will discover that there are some very good products out there.

It's all too easy to become distracted by the next new thing, and forget about what we've already purchased. So we only partly use it, then buy something else.

Not using what we buy and buying more is a sure road to failure.

When you have real product knowledge you can promote with authority.

When you know, and believe in, the product you are promoting very good things start to happen.

When you really know the product you are promoting you can...

Offer specific suggestionsShare specific case studies from your own experienceHelp readers save time by providing shortcutsProvide meaningful bonuses for buying from your affiliate linkWrite articles that detail one specific benefit of the siteCreate review sites that create confidence because they are genuineBecome a valuable JV partner based on your knowledge

Most people struggle to sell things online partly because they don't really know what the product will do for a person. They only know what the affiliate program says the product will do.

So they have to use generic terms like "save money" or "make money" or "save time." The problem with these motivators is that everyone uses them. It's so much better to explain exactly how a product helped you!!

Another benefit of using what you buy is that you will buy less!

We've all done it... we bought a product, didn't use it and bought another product that does the same thing!

By using what you buy (and buying less), you will find that information overload is eased as well.

Here are some action steps you can take, to help you believe in the products you are promoting...

First - make a list of the things you have bought in the last one, three or six months (depending on how often you buy).

Second - sort your list from the product you had the highest hopes for to the one that you didn't really believe would work (but thought it was worth giving it a shot).

Third - take the top five products or sites on your list and write next to them what they are (membership, ebook, webinar) and what they are supposed to do for you.

Fourth - find the site that most meets what you need right now and commit to spending 20 hours inside the site.

Fifth - commit to ignoring new offers until you have spent 20 hours in the site you already own.

If you do this, I believe you will find that information overload will stop being a problem.

You should be able to overview,get a feel for the site and make a plan in a few hours.

Then start using what you learn. Take action on it immediately. Keep good notes about your progress.

Do what you can do today and tomorrow you will be able to do more.

If you follow this process and find a site you really love, considering joining their affiliate program and promoting it.

Now that you have a real and deep product knowledge, you shouldn't have to wonder what you to say in an ad or on a review post.

Developing deep product knowledge is the path to learning the skills you need to succeed, becoming a top affiliate and spending less at the same time.

And that combination is a beautiful thing indeed!

Charlie Page owns the Directory of Ezines and is the author of 10 books about Internet marketing. Through his membership sites and personal consulting, Charlie helps people achieve their goal of independence in record time. Can Charlie help you? Find out at http://www.charliepage.com/

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